


Chapter Sixty-Eight: The One I Once Was

by CavalierConvoy



Series: MTMTE Series One: Shoot Straight with a Crooked Gun [69]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers Generation Two, Transformers: Beast Machines
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Other, Possession, Quantum Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 18:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4490313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavalierConvoy/pseuds/CavalierConvoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Maximals regroup with their new allies, they make a hard choice to split up, with one team focused on continuing to reach the metrotitan, and the other to hold defences at the orchard. But things are getting dicey back on the <i>Lost Light</i> , Skyfire fears he may be losing control of the generator's field of influence when a body goes missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chapter Sixty-Eight: The One I Once Was

I summon the strength in me  
I call upon who I used to be  
I summon the strength inside  
But it does no longer abide  
—["The One I Once Was"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0yoxveh7Tg) by Mortimia, from _Misere Mortem_  
  


Iacon Proper  
Cybertropolis  
Three Hundred Stels from rendezvous with _Wreckers' Spoils_

The away team rejoined the others, minus Stormrave; instead, a copter-drone with a wounded head joined them, preoccupied by his hands.

"She stayed with Skyfire," Silverbolt explained the rogue Vehicon's absence. "Although we were assured that the Lost Light was defended, we felt a ... representative for our cause was necessary, as Skyfire is technically tampering with their engines."

"I would like to take this moment to express my displeasure with this entire scenario," Botanica added, her arms crossed over her chest. "We are meddling with devices we do not under any circumstances understand."

A sharp vent escaped Black Arachnia's mouth. "Here we go again," she grumbled.

"Normally I would agree, Botanica," Optimus nodded, "but at this point, we have to consider all avenues of this situation."

"So this is your outfit?" the copter-drone questioned. "Huh. I was expecting more...I don't know...awesomeness?"

"Hey, you try surviving a stel and a half grossly outnumbered and outgunned!" Rattrap protested.

The copter scoffed, pointing a talon at the rodent. "Please, I was at Garrus-1 during the Clampdown. Don't be talking to me about outnumbered and outgunned — huh." He had brought his bearing past the Maximals to the destroyed HAV drones.

"Whirl," Botanica flipped a hand, palm upward, "has a problem with keeping on topic, we've learnt."

"I'm just impressed with the carnage here," Whirl pointed out. "Granted, not as many as the damage I caused back at the ship, but, meh, we can't all be as awesome as me."

"Better tell them the full story, Whirl," the jaguar Maximal ordered, approaching the rest. "Why you were at Garrus-1, that is."

* * *

_"I'll have no problem if we can just pick a flick and play it! Enough socialising! I hate socialising!_ C'est vraiment dégueulasse! _"_

* * *

"Frag," the copter cocked his head. "This your doing, pussycat? And does the boss know you got her hammer?" 

"Won't lie: I had help." Pantera admitted, regarding Silverbolt. "What's the situation with Skyfire? I lost contact with the ship."  
Silverbolt picked up the report. "Skyfire was hoping to gain more allies by learning how Whirl and his companion — "

" — frenemy — " Whirl stated at the same time. "I like the sound of that."

" — were able to possess the Vehicon drones and pass on that information to the waking crew," the condor Maximal glared warily at the copter. "Stormrave stayed to aid him. She is least likely to raise alarms in either mode."

"Botanica," Pantera beckoned. "I'm sorry this is not the scientific endeavour you were hoping for, but if we're going to win back our planet — "

"Our mission on board the Axalon had started off as a research mission," Optimus explained. "None of us expected to be fighting for our lives and sparks."

 _"Which is likely why we've been brought here,"_ the ethereal Autobot pointed out, the once-white and red speedster shambling out of the shadows. _"Our presence here cannot be coincidence."_

"Oh, that's just not fraggin' fair!" Whirl protested. "How come the hippie gets his body and I'm stuck with the tinker toy?"

Botanica recoiled, covering her mouth in horror as the undead Autobot knelt behind Pantera, hands on thighs.

_"Yeah, sorry about the condition of my shell...I'd imagine I'm a wreck."_

"You got that right, hippie," Whirl retorted. "So many jabs I could make. I can't choose. Oh! Back to the obvious: why does kitty cat have the boss's hammer?"

 _"You wanna tell him or should I?"_ Drift questioned. _"And maybe we should do something...?"_ He pointed to his distended jaw. _"Might help, you know, not freak out new friends? Besides, it feels kinda weird."_

Pantera turned to Braddore. "Think you can fix it?" To Primal, she added, "It'll give us a chance to regroup and make a course of action."

"Ye realise his brain's shoved in there?" Braddore protested to unyielding audio receptors.

"To revisit your observation — Drift? — I also believe the Lost Light's presence is not coincidence." Optimus nodded to Braddore, granting permission. "Everything being connected — "

"I'll let you two spiritists chat," Pantera interrupted with a mock whisper before turning to the Maximal second-in-command. "Cheetor, Inuarai, Nightscream, sweep the tunnels, five-hundred metres, come back here."

"On it, Mamacat," Cheetor nodded, taking lead of the coyote and bat. 

"Black Arachnia, Rattrap, Blancwulf, think you can scrounge enough parts from the HAV drones to construct some communicators?"

"Shouldn't be a problem," Black Arachnia nodded.

"Keep them short-range," Rattrap suggested. "Don't want the 'Cons to listen into our illicit conversations."

"Perhaps I should return to base," Botanica suggested, her tone bitter. "I am more suited to tend the orchards than the battlefield."

"This mission cleared our bench, didn't it?" Pantera nodded. "Primal! Once we're done here, we should send a crew back to base, protect the orchard."

"Is that wise?" Silverbolt questioned. "We still haven't pinpointed where the metrotitan is located. Tending the orchard would be the least of our worries if Skyfire loses control of the generator."

"Primal, we need to parley," Pantera redirected the question. "We're at an impasse."

"Protecting the orchard is still a priority," Optimus agreed. "But Silverbolt is right; if we don't find the metrotitan before Megatron—"

"If I may weigh in," Rattrap interrupted, "my handy-dandy early warning system will let us know if Megatron's goons are anywhere near base." 

Botanica was about to ask when a dull boom vibrated through the ventilation shafts. 

The rat Maximal stood erect, holding up a claw. "And that would have been the South Central conduits, five kilometers from base. They'll be digging themselves out for a sol or two. If at all." Chuckling, the rodent continued digging through a drone's chest cavity.

"Wait a cycle." The copter darted forward, stopping centimetres from Pantera, studying her face. "Boss?" He demanded. "How'd you nab a fur suit?"

"Took you long enough," Pantera smirked. "Right now, unimportant, but good to have you back in my peripheral." Ears flicked. "We've got two fronts we cannot afford to lose control of: the orchard and the metrotitan. We may not have a choice but to split up."

"If we have more of the _Lost Light_ crew joining us," Silverbolt pointed out, "then we can afford to protect the orchard."

"Don't be volunteering me for anything," Whirl protested.

"You're with me," Pantera countered. "I'm the only one here you pretend to have any respect for, and and you know how useless I am on the defencive."

"Oh, so many way to retort," the copter chuckled.

"Once we get communicators operational," Optimus beckoned, "Botanica, you'll return to the orchard. Silverbolt, Blancwulf, Inuarai, and Nightscream will accompany you. Black Arachnia, Rattrap, Cheetor will come with me." 

"Which puts Whirl, Braddore, and Drift with me," Pantera nodded. 

"Hold it!" Braddore protested, pointing a laser scalpel at the jaguar Maximal. "I'se not gonna play medic to some drones and a zombie!" Flicking the device towards the Autobot, he added, "it's bad enough I'se doin' this — his braincase is completely fragged, looks like someone skewered him crown to coccyx."

 _"That pretty much sums the extent of the damage."_ Drift remained immobile as the former Predacon grimaced. _"It's likely by my sheer will amplified by my great sword's aura that I'm able to — "_

"Shut it." Braddore interrupted. "Iffin ye'se go that direction, yer brain stays in yer mouth. Clear?"

"And you call yourself a medic," Rattrap harrumphed.

"And a Predacon one at that, a cosmic joke all in itself, but this? This be fraggin' necromancy!" Braddore reminded. "I'se no clue how he's even able to move." He massaged his temple. "I'se getting flashbacks to Tarantulus here."

"There's a guy I don't miss," Black Arachnia retorted.

"Hey, boss?" Whirl beckoned, then in a mock whisper, added, "do we have to take the dead weight with us? We just could grab Hornhead and just go naggin' fruts on Spawn of Buckethead, right?"

"If it were only that easy," Pantera replied. "We had to sacrifice toughness to survive the virus. As much as I want to let loose, my survival instinct keeps pulling me into stealth mode."

Whirl pointed to the mess of drone corpses. "Stealth. Yeah, boss, whatever."

"Why do you call 'Tera 'boss'?" Cheetor demanded as his team returned from their scout. 

"Because it's patronising. At least it's not Wrecker Prime. She really hates that. Kept telling her to take it running, make it her own, but she doesn't listen. And who's 'Tera?"

"Got some early warning devices planted to cover our tracks if things go south," Inuarai reported, ignoring the copter. 

"'Atta girl!" Rattrap flashed a thumbs'-up, holding up three devices. "And for our contribution to the cause: we jury-rigged these to bounce signals from the _Lost Light_ , seeing as we already have an inside there running relays, thank you, Blaster."

_«De nada, mi amigo!"»_

"We were able to pull some weak signals off of the shambling samurai and calibrate frequencies as such. Unless Megs has an insider on board — wait — "

"Pulled their comms, same way I'se done Stormy's," Braddore interrupted. "Showed Cyclonus how to do it if there's others."

 _"Besides, if there's any constant in the universe, it's Blaster's ability to monopolise the airwaves,"_ Drift added.

_«Hey, I resemble that remark!»_

Black Arachnia tossed a drone head over her shoulder. "There's optimistic, and then there's oblivious."

"Congratulations, Legs, you just summed up the hippie to the glyph," Whirl clapped his hands slowly together.

"Is he always this much of a gashole?" Blancwulf questioned.

"He's behaving himself, actually," Pantera admitted, observing the copter once again infatuated by his hands. "Primal, I think Braddore would serve better use with your team; the three of us can distract Megatron while you hunt down Metroplex."

* * *

 

_"Cav, what's your twenty?"_  
_"Me and Huffer are just waiting for a clearing — we're bringing support!"_  
_"Hang back; it's Overlord! 'Cutter, give me some good news!"_  
_"Covering the exit point — he's not getting out this way!"_

* * *

 

"Yeah, we don't need the goony bird," Whirl flicked his hand upward. "Hate to get the only medic slagged. Don't want the responsibility to keep an optic on his carcass."

"Pantera, will ye please curb yer fan club?" Braddore demanded.

"Three teams," Optimus held up as many fingers, breaking apart the banter. "Elder, your team will focus on hit and run tactics. Distract the Vehicons, draw their attention. As long as we maintain contact with Blaster, we'll know if things change on board the _Lost Light_. Judging by your connections, you'll be best as liaison in the case more like Whirl and Cyclonus appear."

A half-click delay from the jaguar Maximal before she nodded. "Liaison and demolitions. Got it."

"Better them than this poor bastard," Braddore groused, easing the brain module out of Drift's mouth. "Oi, make yeself useful and shove that back in yer brainpan!"

 _"That depends on your point of view."_ Drift did as instructed, poking around for the hole in his helm. _"Wow, this feels...weird."_

"We'll continue the hunt for the metrotitan; knowing that Thrust, or rather, Waspinator is heading there will be an asset." Optimus regarded the device Rattrap had handed him. "Blaster, do you still read us?"

_«Louder and prouder than ever! We may have this Handbook for the not so Recently Deceased figured out after all. Got Highbrow and Mainframe working their space magic with Skyfire Junior to lock down the genny. Things are in motion, just can't tell you what because, heh, I'm a deejay, not a science nerd.»_

"For now, I want Pantera's team to stay with us," Primal ordered. "Silverbolt, Botanica, return with your team to the orchard. Report every megacycle."

"Blancwulf, Inuarai, Nightscream," Silverbolt ordered. "You're with us."

"Optimus, don't you think I'd be better suited for your team?" Nightscream countered. "No offence, Braddore, but you're not exactly agile in enclosed quarters."

"And ye'se not exactly a medic, either," Braddore countered. "Though iffin I'se my way, we'd trade places."

"If we're indeed dealing with wounded, we're going to need a field medic," Optimus explained. "In worst case scenario, you'll be the one running relay, Nightscream."

Nightscream bristled, but complied with a nod.

"Once we get a bead on Waspinator," Pantera added, "we'll split off, cause some mayhem, draw Megatron's cronies. We'll focus on Government Centre. Pretentious buildings we can use for cover and high ground."

"But be careful," Primal stressed. "We all need to stay alive."

 

*

 _Lost Light_  
Bridge

Stormrave flitted between the consoles, attempting to make sense of the flickering readouts. "We should rejoin the others," she grumbled. "We don't understand anything about this ship, and what good is it if we can't work it?"

"You should learn to exercise patience," Cyclonus reminded, hovering near the bridge exit. "As I understand the situation, you are at a tactical disadvantage, and have been so for since this...conflict...began. In all logical standings, you — read: the Maximals — are the infestation."

Stormrave balled her fists and rolled her shoulders back in preparation of a fight, wings flaring to display the hand-painted Maximal emblems. "If you want to stand with the destruction of sparks and free will, then you and me are gonna have more than words."

If her threat brought a rise to the possessed Vehicon, Cyclonus made no outward indication. "It is in our nature to resist our demise, even if our time had come. Tell me, why do you fight with the Maximals, rather than the Vehicons?"

"Megatron would have destroyed my spark once my use to him was done," the red and white mech stated without hesitation. "His idea of order is absolute."

"And you are against such an affront to existence."

"Damn straight I am!" 

"And there is where you become my ally, and he, my enemy," Cyclonus nodded, a slow gesture of acknowledgement. "There is a grander design than he; by threatening our sparks, he crosses the line. Hm." His head bowed in challenge, scanning the bridge. 

_"Starting to agree with Stormer here that maybe you cats need to bail,"_ Blaster hissed. _"Something's rumbling down there in the genny and I'm not certain you're gonna like to see the end results."_

"Sky's losing his hold?" Stormrave questioned.

_"The brains are making countermeasures; Highbrow's expecting another flare-up. Bad enough we had one hiccough; hard telling what another will do to your paintjobs. And we're missing mechs to boot."_

"'Missing mechs'?" Cyclonus demanded.

_"Yeah, some were waking, then suddenly, poof. Sky's not answering; I think he's too busy pulling a Percy to hear me at this point. I'm gonna try and keep comms up as long as possible, but I'm not a fortune teller. But you don't worry about that: I got a helluva plan cooked up."_

"And the ship?" Cyclonus demanded.

A strange chatter more sensed then heard wafted about the bridge before Blaster answered. _"Megsie Junior'll be reluctant to take the ship after the slag you and Whirl pulled, Cyke, not to mention he knows if he tries to tamper any further than we already did, it's pop goes the world. And where he wants to get rid of the Maximals, he's not ready to take himself down with it. Bonus."_

"Then let us meet up with your team," Cyclonus suggested to Stormrave. "If this...namesake...is as logical as you say, he will be an easy opponent to defeat."

"'Easy', you say," Stormrave harrumphed. "If you think getting overrun by mindless drones 'easy'."

"'Mindless drones' are not the problem. Are there anymore like...Obsidian?"

"His partner, Strika, who handles the ground troops. And then there's Thrust — "

 _"But he's gone rogue right now,"_ Blaster reported. _"And looks like he's hunting down Metroplex. Boss Monkey thinks he may be a potential ally in his current state."_

"Blaster," Cyclonus beckoned. "Are you able to secure the bridge?"

_"As long as Sky stays Sky, I won't need to. On the B-side, even if his evil twin queues up, he doesn't have the know-how to pull the sick quantum beats. Radio edit: ain't nothing gonna knock this pirate broadcast off the airwaves."_

_"As soon as you leave,"_ another voice, this one to Stormrave's right, at the engine console, _"we'll drop the blast panel. Nothing short of Devastator's getting in here."_

"Blaster, what's the last known position of Primal and his team?" Cyclonus questioned.

_"They're heading north-west, Under-Arterial 17-Delta. They've got a fifteen-klick head-start, but with those swanky shells of yours, you'd catch up, no time."_

"Then we waste no time. Stormrave, lead on."

The red and white Maximal bobbed her head, darting out of the bridge, with Cyclonus flanking on her right. Once in the hold with the breech, Stormrave transformed into jet mode, eager to leave the ship.

"Hold." Cyclonus held up a hand, head bowed as he scanned the carnage. "The bodies have been disturbed."

Stormrave reverted, staying just inside the ship. "Sky was using the — " Her optics followed Cyclonus's gesture towards the headless Decepticon, now sprawled in the hallway. Old energon surrounded a gaping wound in its back, a trail of burnt pink leading away from the body, to the hole.

"Oh," the Maximal jet muttered. "That's not a good sign."

"No," Cyclonus agreed. "That is not."  


*

Generator Room

The whispering was getting louder. 

Not just the crew. Others. Deeper. Older.

_Just how old was this ship?_

Skyfire had attempted to access the ship's logs, but whoever had it before the Mortilus cultists Drift had purchased the ship from — and the only reason that was a known factor was that it was written into the initial entry, along with the crew manifest — was a mystery.

Other known factors:

It was a Cybertronian ship. Bonus. No translation programs or third-party hacks needed to access systems.

It was based on old tech. Hell, it was old tech. And there was little information on the U1 experimental ships by the time Skyfire had entered the QAAT, as old tech had been delegated to antiquity, little practicality. Who needed an unpredictable quantum generator when the safer fold engines and transwarp drives were available?

Wait. QAAT. It had been renamed after revisionism had erased its original name, instead honouring a victim of the Clampdown and the rise of the Decepticons, a quantum physicist whose work had expanded the reach of interstellar travel and made it possible — 

_— Primus, that's it! The presence of 'Tera's original shell on the ship should have been the clue!_ This wasn't temporal, not completely.

 _It had been pulled sideways and was existing as a third state!_

Skyfire switched his gears. 'Tera had believed the dead Artemis in the hold was her past self. Maybe in another timeline, running parallel to this one, one that was not destined for the Maximal upgrade. _If I knew where the branch was, I could —_

_— wait._

_Blaster? Blaster, can you hear —_

_— Trailbreaker?_

_Oh._

"Just like your namesake," Starscream chortled. "Easily distracted by a pretty equation."

 _This is no time to go on a power trip! We're in deep slag as it is and if we don't —_

"Please. Does it matter? I assure you, I want my revenge on Megatron. That much, we have in common. You're just taking too long to untangle the system when you're failing to see the simplest solution: a razor."

_Starscream, we can't shortcut this! We can't just kill the power and call it good!_

"Please. We're already dead. And while you were so focused on your Autobot buddies, you lost track of a couple of items: one, if we're dealing with waking echoes, did you ever take into consideration the headless Decepticon in the hold? And two: if neither of us moved Trailbreaker's body, who did?"

For emphasis, Starscream allowed his host's vision online to take in the generator room; the sentry Starscream had set was no longer posted at the door.

 _Three,_ Skyfire added, fighting to keep his panic in check, while we're on the topic, _it's been awfully quiet around here, don't you think?_

 

 **NEXT CHAPTER:** Keep Slipping Away

**Author's Note:**

> We're getting close to the end! it's been hectic at work with the reconstruction, so I haven't had much chance to do the edits I've been wanting to do. I'm going to aim to post at least once a week until the story concludes. Thank you for your patience!


End file.
